Secrets
by rats xp
Summary: What if the guardians started to find out about each other's secrets? Follow this collection of one-shots, where the characters of Rise of the Guardians accidentally stumble across each other's most hidden secrets! Collab w/ Batgirl13, Miki Mechetta, xxRebelWinterxx
1. Jack Secret Boxer Raids (ch 1)

_**AN: **__Hello there, this is my first ROTG fanfic so please be gentle. It is a collection of one-shots AND is a collab between me and a few other authors here on FFN. At the beginning of each chapter, I will let you know whose one-shot you are reading, so feel free to give them some love when you read their stories._

_Now, this one-shot was written by me, so let me know if I have made any mistakes, or what not, 'kay?_

_Anyway, without further adieu, here is the first installment of SECRETS! __**(Please forgive my horrible attempt at accents)**_

"Talking"

_'Thinking'_

**(Author's Comment)**

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Chapter 1:

Jack's Boxer Raid

"Blast it all, North, where are you!" Bunny yelled as he headed towards North's office. North had called Bunny to help solve a problem he had begun to have with the elves. It seems that the elves have started to cause even more mischief than they usually do, but…as to what they were doing, North had refused to say until Bunny agreed to come and help him out.

So, here he was, at the Pole, and no sign of North anywhere. Bunny even asked some yetis if they knew where North was, and even THEY didn't know!

Finally, Bunny caught a break when he ran into Phil. The yeti said that he had seen North head toward his bedroom (to change into some clean clothes) about an hour ago, and hadn't seen him since. Bunny thanked the yeti before bounding off in the direction of North's bedroom.

_'With any luck, the bloody drongo will still be there. Then, we can figure out how to fix his little elf problem. THEN, I will be able to head back to my nice warm Warren.'_

As thoughts of his sunny Warren filled his head, Bunny sped up even faster, determined to get this over and done with.

o0o0o

When Bunny finally reached North's bedroom, he noticed a sign on the door that said 'KNOCK BEFORE ENTERING'.

Yet, as Bunny was about to knock on the door, he hears a string of angry curses from the other side of the door, yelled in Russian. Bunny decided to wait for the swearing to die down, before he knocked on the door.

After about ten minutes, the noise behind the door seemed to finally quiet down. Bunnymund then knocked gently on the door, and waited patiently for a response.

He did not have to wait long, because he soon heard a reply.

"Who iz it?" said a sorrowful voice, that was slightly out of breath.

"Mate, it's me, can I come in?" Bunny asked tentatively, still somewhat nervous/worried by North's outburst.

"Bunny?...Yes, come in my friend," came a somewhat relieved reply.

Bunny grew curious about North's behavior, and slowly opened the door, steeling himself for what he might find behind the door.

As the door swung open, it revealed a mess the likes that Bunny thought only little kids were capable of…or Jack Frost. Everywhere he looked, various articles of clothing were strewn all over everything. And, at the center of the mess stood North, in his usual attire. But, he looked somewhat disheartened, yet frustrated at the same time.

"What happened here, mate? Did you lose something, or did Pitch try to pull a sneak attack in ya?" Bunny asked as he walked to where North was standing.

"No, Pitch did not do this. It vas those blasted elves. Ever since few weeks ago, they 'ave been stealing my underwear and 'ave been either putting them on display, or have been parading around in them. I never seem to have any clean undergarments anymore and iz getting on my last nerve!" North then grumbles something in Russian, under his breath.

"What was that mate?" Bunny said getting a little skeptical as North scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Iz nothing. But, Bunny, will you help me stop those troublesome elves, and find out what they've done with my undergarments?" North asks as he fixes Bunnymund with a serious stare, anger and thoughts of revenge forgotten for the moment.

"Sure, mate. I'll help ya." Bunny says, nodding his head. They shake hands before leaving North's room. Once in the hallway, they headed in opposite directions in search of North's underwear and the elves that stole them.

o0o0o

Bunny slowly made his way down the corridor, checking each room as he went. It had been half an hour since he and North split up. He had another ten minutes before he was supposed to meet up with North in the Globe room.

Bunnymund was about to turn back the way he came, when he spotted two elves at the end of the corridor. As they turned the corner, they seemed to be carrying what looked suspiciously like underwear.

_'That underwear is definitely too big for those scrawny dingoes.' _Bunny thought as he headed towards the corridor the elves turned down, just moments ago.

He turned the corner just in time to see the elves do into a room six doors down, on the left side of the corridor.

_'Huh, wonder what's in there?' _

Bunny quietly heads for the door. When he reaches it, he puts one of his long ears to the wood and listens.

_'Wait, is that music? Dang it all, the music is muffling the voices! What are they saying…wait, is that Jack's voice?! If Frostbite is a part of this then North has every right to be worried.' _Bunny thinks this as he steps away from the door.

"I betta' stop those bloody drongos, before Frostbite has a chance to damage North's undies." Bunny says as he grabs the door handle, turns it, and yanks the door open.

"Stop righ' t-there…" the words soon died on his lips as he gazed at the scene in front of him.

He stared on in frozen astonishment **(pardon the lame pun)** as elves were walking down a makeshift catwalk, with North's undies wrapped around them in various different arrangements.

"Ah, Bunny, enjoying the show," said an amused voice to the right of Bunnymund.

Bunny turns and comes face-to-face with a smirking Jack Frost.

"Uh…w-what the heck is all this, Frostbite." Bunny asks with his eyes wide and mouth hanging open in incredulity. All around them were miniature chairs, small enough for elves to sit in, placed in a semi-circle around the makeshift catwalk. Half the chairs were filled with cheering and clapping elves, while other elves were helping even more elves wrap North's undies around each other in mock-up fashion designs!

Once the undies were positioned the way the elves wanted them to be, they would head to the back of the catwalk, where a boom box was playing music. Once there they waited their turn, while yet another elf would announce who was next, and what 'design' they were wearing.

_'Huh, so this was what the ruckus was I heard earlier. And the boom box would explain where the music was coming from, and why I was having trouble understanding what everyone was saying.' _Bunnymund thought, as the surprise and astonishment finally wore off.

Jack had been waiting patiently all this time for Bunny to come back to his senses, before he tried to explain anything. He was not in the mood to be ignored, and then have to re-explain things all over again. Once he realized that Bunny was mostly back to normal, he decided to answer his question from earlier.

"Can't you tell? This is a fashion show!" Jack said waving his hand around the room, with a satisfied smile on his face.

"Well, I can see that, ya gumbie! What I meant was why are the elves wearing North's underwear?" Bunny asked getting a little frustrated.

"Oh, well that's simple. They're wearing North's undies because I replaced all of his undies with elf undies." Jack said with a completely straight face, like this was a completely normal situation…which for Jack, it probably was.

"Wait, you're telling me, that you replaced ALL of North's underwear with ELF undies!" Bunny asked. And, as Jack nodded with a huge smirk on his face, Bunny burst out laughing.

"Man! No wonder the drongo didn't wanna tell me why he needed my help." Bunny was, by now, rocking to-and-fro with laughter as he held his sides.

"Help? Why would North ask you for help?" Jack asked, suddenly suspicious as to why the Pooka was there.

It took a moment, but Bunny was eventually able to get his laughing fit under control.

"Oh, yeah. North asked me to help him stop the elves from bothering him anymore. Although, at the time, he would not say how they were 'bothering' him. I can see now why he didn't wanna tell me." Bunny said as he stared Jack straight in the eyes.

The two Guardians continued to stare at each other, until Jack broke the silence (because at this point, even the elves had turned off the music and were watching the stalemate between the two).

"You're not gonna tell him, are you?" Jack asks as he glares at Bunny, while tightening his hand on his staff. He wanted to be ready in case he had to stop Bunny.

Bunny stared at Jack a little longer, watching him squirm before smirking as he replied.

"Not on ya life, mate! Well at least, not about you being involved, anyway." Bunny had to cross his arms to keep from ruffling Jack's hair in amusement.

"Wait, really!" Jack relaxed, as he released a breath he did not even realize he was holding.

"…Hold up…what's the catch," Jack grew suspicious again.

"Just that you give me photos of this little event that I can use as black mail against North!" Bunny said laughing. Jack relaxed again as he too joined in with Bunny's laughing.

"Oh, and you have to tone it back on how many times you do this to North." Bunnymund stated as the laughter died down.

"What! Why? What's wrong with how many times I've done this to North? It's not like I've been caught until now." Jack leans on his staff as he asks this, staring at the large Pooka with a confused expression on his face.

"Because, ya gumbie, doing this to North once a week, for the past two months, is way too many times! To be honest, I'm surprised he hasn't caught on to you." Bunny said a little incredulously.

Jack smirked and was about to say something when Bunnymund interrupted him.

"Look mate, just don't prank him for a while, and let him cool down a bit." **(Again, pun NOT intended)**

Jack stopped and seemed to think for a moment, before looking back up at the Pooka.

"Promise you won't tell him?"

"Promise. It'll be our little secret." Bunnymund said with a smirk on his face, as he puts his paw out to Jack.

Jack smirks at this, and grabs Bunny's paw.

"Deal!" he says as they shake hands.

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**AN: **let me know what you think of this one-shot, or if there is anything, I need to change/improve upon.

And again, sorry if the accents were kinda lame, but I at least attempted to get them right. :)

Please R&R


	2. Secrets Within (ch 2)

**AN: **This one-shot was written by Miki Mechetta, hope you enjoy

In addition, some of you may have noticed the slight change in genres, I made the change so that it could encompass all types of one-shots that may show up in this collection.

Therefore, without further adieu, here is the next installment of "Secrets"

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Secrets Within

_Sometimes, our greatest secrets are the ones we hide from ourselves. The things we keep locked up inside._

A cool breeze blasted its way through the ornate hallways of the Tooth Palace, heralding Jack Frost's arrival to the kingdom. As usual, the wintery visitor immediately rushed to the central platform of the palace, eager to visit his fellow Guardian. As he zoomed into the now familiar room with its coin dispensers and bustling fairies, he called out, "Hey, Tooth, I just finished up bringing a beauty of a blizzard to Japan and…"

The frost child stopped mid-sentence, his bright eyes glancing around, searching for the Guardian of Innocence. Tiny tooth fairies were everywhere, but their leader was nowhere to be seen.

Jack smiled; it looked like tonight was one of Tooth's rare "out in the field" adventures. Maybe he'd see if he could find her before she got back. After all, he was always in the mood for a good race and Tooth was an excellent challenger.

With that thought in mind, he turned to leave, only to have his progress halted by a familiar tugging on his hoddie. Only one fairy took that liberty. He glanced down into tiny, mismatched eyes and smiled. "Hey, Baby Tooth, don't you have work to do?"

A fury of chirping and several tugs later; a laughing Jack was letting the petite fairy guide him through the shimmering hallways to an unknown destination somewhere in the vast corridors of the palace. As the duo sped past rows and rows of teeth holders, Jack tried to ask his tiny guide where she was taking him, but the little fairy only gave him mysterious glances in reply.

Their rapid flight finally came to a halt before a closed door, the only one he'd ever seen in this place of airy corridors. Curiosity peaked; the immortal teenager pushed open the door and walked inside. The room beyond the door was small, only the size of Jamie's bedroom, but beautifully decorated with intricate, swirling patters of silver, blue, and purple which formed into abstract images that were oddly reminiscent of the sea. At the far wall of the room sat Tooth, her feet gently folded beneath her and her eyes focused on the lit match in her dainty fingers as she carefully lit a white candle. Once the wick had burst into flames and slowly begun to melt the alabaster wax, the sweet smell of Jasmine flooded the room, making Jack feel sleepy.

Her task complete, Tooth turned to face her visitors, a kind smile on her face.

"Jack, what are you doing here? I hadn't expected to see you until next week!"

Jack shrugged as he fought back a yawn and tried to keep his eyes from drooping shut, "I finished up in Japan yesterday and decided to come visit before I reigned in the storms on Everest. They've been acting up again."

The winged Guardian laughed and motioned for Jack to take a seat beside her, "Well, if you're here to visit, then you may as well sit down with me. You look like you could use a rest."

The floating teen gently alighted on the ground and let Baby Tooth take up her favorite perch atop his shoulder before walking forward, glancing around the room as he did so and trying to figure out its purpose.

Sensing the source of her companion's questioning gazes, Tooth answered the unspoken query, "It's a memory room!"

Jack looked back at his fellow Guardian, who was now almost directly in front of him, and tilted his head to the side. "Huh?"

"This," Tooth began, waving her hand around to indicate the room, "is a memory room. It's where I come whenever I want to visit my memories."

"Oh," Jack sat down by her side and glanced around with renewed curiosity, "so it's like your own, personal tooth holder?"

"Not exactly. This room doesn't have the power to bring back memories that my baby teeth would have had, it's more of a memorial to my memories, my family in particular."

Jack's shoulders stiffened, but Tooth was far too caught up in her explanation to notice.

"They're long gone and, when I became a Guardian, I didn't bring anything but the memories of my past life with me, so I created this room as a way to physically represent those times. I light a candle in here on a few, special days of the year: my mother's birthday, my father's birthday, my parent's wedding anniversary, my birthday, and the day I became a Guardian."

She turned to look at Jack, her face beaming, but the smile quickly faded into a frown when she saw the look on his face. "Jack, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just, why do you want to remember someone when you can never see them again?"

"Just because they're long gone doesn't mean I want to forget them, Jack. My parents were the ones who taught me the things that helped to make me a Guardian; they shaped who I am today. I can't forget their love just because they're no longer here to show it."

Jack remained silent, staring at the flickering candle for a long while before jumping to his feet, almost knocking Baby Tooth from her perch. As the little fairy fluttered into the air, chirping with indignation, Jack grinned at Tooth and said, "Well, if today's a special day to remember your family, then I don't want to bother you!"

Then he was gone, out the door and into the sky, leaving only an icy breeze and Tooth's cry of "Jack, I don't mind" in his wake

As the breeze faded away, Tooth rose to her feet, taking Baby Tooth into her hand as she whispered, "If I didn't know better, Baby, I would have said he looked like he was going to cry…"

E. Aster Bunnymund's whole body tensed as he felt the familiar chill creeping into his Warren that could only mean one thing: Frost.

"Alright Frosty, I know you're here, so come on out and no funny stuff!"

With a wave of happy laughter, the hoddie clad sprite of winter dropped out of the air and landed before his Aussie friend with his arms raised in a gesture of surrender. "I'm unarmed, see? I just finished up reigning in some snow storms in the Himalayas and thought you could use a little visit! You must be bored waiting around for Easter."

The Pooka smirked and crossed his arms over his chest before motioning behind Jack. "Nah, I got all this to keep me busy."

Jack turned around and surveyed the sprawling garden that the Guardian of Hope had been working on before his arrival.

"Well, it's a very nice carrot patch."

"It's not a carrot patch, mate. Do you see any veggies 'round here?"

Jack looked closer and saw that Bunny was right; from one end of the garden to the other, all he could see were flowers. He turned back to the elder Guardian, his face a mask of confusion, "Those aren't painting flowers, so what's the garden for?"

Bunny's smirk softened into a smile as he looked out across the blossoming flora, "It's an old Pooka tradition; we keep gardens instead of making gravestones. A memorial to life and new beginnings instead of a memorial to what we've lost."

"Oh," Jack's grin faded and his gaze fell to the ground as he began to shuffle his feet, "so this is a monument to…"

"My family, yeah."

Jack was silent for a moment, but then he took a deep breath and looked up into startled green eyes with a face oddly full of emotion, "I know what happened to them! Why would you want to remember that?"

"Jack…" Bunny started and then stopped, unsure of what to say. After a brief pause to collect his thoughts, the Guardian of Hope started once more, "Yes, the way I lost my family was the worst thing that's ever happened to me, but I can't let one terrible memory pollute all the good ones. I wouldn't be a Guardian if it weren't for the lessons they taught me."

Jack's hands were balled into fist now and Bunny had the bizarre feeling that the winter child was going to hit him, but then Jack let his fists fall loose and his face formed into an easy smile. "Well, I guess you don't need me bugging you if you've got weeding to do, huh cottontail?"

Then he was gone, zooming off towards the tunnels that lead to the human world.

Bunny stared after his departing friend for a long time before scratching his head and asking the now still air, "What was that all about?"

"Oh, you don't need to worry about me, Phil. I'm _helping_ this time!"

The burly Yeti gave Jack a pointed look as the Guardian of Fun carried North's latest carving down to the workroom floor. Ever since he'd been named a Guardian, Jack had found that he actually enjoyed helping out in the workshop. He'd learned more about shaping ice from North in the last few months than he had in all of his 300 years of solitude.

Once he'd set down the ice sculpture on an empty work table, Jack hurried back towards the ice chambers to get a new block. He'd offered to just make the stuff for North, but the Guardian of Wonder insisted that "aged ice is best for sculpting!" so Jack had shrugged and let the matter be.

He turned the corner towards the ice chambers and stopped, trying to remember which door was the right one. After a moment's hesitation, he shrugged, flew to the closest one, and yanked it open, figuring that he may as well just try them all until he found the correct door.

The room looked like any other in the winter fortress as far as its design went, wooden walls and well-insulated windows which let in the wintery sun, but this room's contents wasn't like any other. Against the window, so that the sun's rays would reflect through them, stood a series of ice sculptures, each of which was formed into a small child.

With a sinking heart, Jack got the feeling that he knew what he'd stumbled onto, but he couldn't tear his eyes away.

He was still there, looking at the ice children, when North came to find him.

"Ah, Jack, I was wondering if you were lost. I see now you were distracted by my greatest creation."

Jack nodded numbly, knowing what was coming next. Honestly, did everyone have one of these stupid things?

"Is memorial to my children. Beautiful, no?"

"Did they, I mean, did you… what happened to them?"

North was startled to hear the normally happy teenager sound so lost, but he answered the question all the same, "Only Guardians are immortal. My children grew up, lived their lives, and died like normal humans."

"Doesn't that hurt, though? Knowing that you've outlived the kids you helped raise? Knowing that they're gone?"

North walked past Jack and into the room, coming to rest before the ice children. He stood there, tracing his hand along the icy hair of a young girl with a wistful smile on his bearded face, for a minute or so before replying. "Sometimes, but is okay. We are collection of our experiences, Jack. One of my greatest adventures was being father. Protecting them helps me protect children today.

"Is what I know they would have…" North trailed off as he turned to face his young protégé, only to realize he was speaking to thin air. Jack was gone.

When Sandy found Jack, the frost child was skipping rocks against his pond.

The Guardian of Imagination had been keeping a watchful eye on Jack's pond every time he passed due to a slowly growing worry for the boy's well-being that had been brought on by the other Guardians. A visit to Tooth a little over a month ago had given him the odd story of a visit cut short, a stop off at Bunny's for a slice of carrot cake several days later had brought him another tale of peculiar reactions, and just last night North had told his longtime friend of Jack's strange flight. When put together, the little Guardian found that the stories formed a clear picture of what was troubling the young sprite.

Now that he had the boy in his sights, Sandy was going to get to the bottom of this.

As he approached the teen on a cloud of dream sand, Jack glanced up, surprised but clearly pleased to see his visitor.

"Hey, Sandman! What brings you to my humble pond?"

Sandy formed his cloud into three images, one right after the other. First, Tooth with a candle in her hands and Jack flying away. Then, Bunny standing with his arms folded and a look of confusion on his face as Jack sped off. Finally, North scratching his head in befuddlement and searching for Jack with a group of children in the background. With each image, Jack's smile faded more and more until he was standing with his shoulders slumped and his arms wound tightly around his chest, looking for all the world like a child lost in the cold.

Sensing the young one's troubled mind, Sandy glided closer and gently placed a hand on Jack's shoulder, waiting for the teen to speak.

It didn't take long. Soon, Jack was off and babbling, "It's nothing Sandy, I just don't… you see, they all have these memories and they've had time to… I guess I… I don't… when I… oh, this is hopeless!"

The teen shoved his hands into his hair and let out a frustrated grown, but Sandy simply remained hovering and waited for Jack to continue.

After a few more frustrated sounds, Jack started again, "For so long, I wanted my memories back and then, when I finally got them back, I realized just what I'd lost. It was… hard, too hard. So I pushed them away and tried to forget about them, but then I learned that the others had memories that were just as hard as mine. They've all lost families and friends. They all left a life behind, but they're okay with that! How can they be okay with that? It hurts! When I think of my little sister I don't feel happy, I feel angry."

Jack's rant went on and on as he told Sandy of the life he lost, the family he felt had been robbed from him. How angry he was that, without his memories, he had never known to go back and see his little sister grow up. How he didn't know if she's ever had kids of her own or not. How his limited memories didn't even show him his mother's face. He talked and talked until the words ran out and Jack was left panting from the exertion, feeling exhausted from finally telling someone what he'd been feeling.

The drained teen swayed on his feet and would have fallen over if Sandy hadn't caught him.

"Sorry, Sandy, I doubt you were expecting to have to deal with that, huh?"

Sandy just smiled and carefully sprinkled a bit of dream sand over Jack's head, sending the young Guardian off to a deep slumber.

Once he was certain Jack was fast asleep, Sandy carefully laid the boy down by his lake and took off into the night, knowing just what he needed to do.

Jack awoke to a tiny pecking at his cheek and opened his eyes to see Baby Tooth looking at him with wide, violet eyes that made Jack laugh as he sat up.

"Hey, how'd you know where to find me? Were you collecting teeth in Burgess?"

The little fairy shook her head and pulled at Jack's hoodie, drawing him to his feet.

"Okay, okay, I'm up, I'm up! What is it?"

"Jack! You are awake!"

Jack whipped around to find a beaming North standing at the edge of the nearby forest.

"Come, my friend, we have surprise for you!"

Jack glanced over at Baby Tooth, but she simply shrugged. Her job had been to watch over Jack and wake him up, she didn't know what Mama Tooth and the other Guardians had been up to.

Deciding that he may as well see what was up, Jack walked towards to Cossack Guardian and let him lead as they ventured into the forest.

They didn't have far to go and soon they'd come to where the other Guardians were waiting under the sprawling eves of a weeping willow tree.

Jack looked at the assembly in confusion. "Guys, what's going on?"

Tooth fluttered forward and took his hand, "Come, Jack, you need to sit down here."

She guided him to a seat on an old log and the other Guardians took spots around him until they formed a circle.

Bunny spoke first. "Sandy told us what's been eatin' ya, mate."

Jack stiffened at the words, but Bunny continued without pause.

"First off, you shoulda told us, ya gumby! We're a family, and what affects one of us, affects us all!"

Tooth cut in here, "But we understand why you didn't. Facing your past is a hard thing, Jack. We've had centuries to come to terms with our loses, but you've only just found out what you've lost."

"So we help you!" North finished in his booming voice and pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket.

Jack opened his mouth to ask what was going on, but stopped when North began to read.

"Emily Overland, for her first Christmas, received a stuffed bear by the request of her elder brother, Jackson. For her second Christmas, she received a set of building blocks…" and so the Guardians sat and listened as North read out the list of everything Emily had ever received for Christmas, followed by a list of everything the child had ever done to be deemed a member of the nice list, "…helping her friend Sally take care of her sick mother…" and then, North read the final notes on when Emily grew up and stopped believing, but kept belief alive by telling her children the stories of the Guardians.

Now it was Tooth's turn. The Guardian of Innocence handed Jack a tiny portrait of his sister, the same kind one would find on a tooth holder. "I can't show you her memories, but I can give you this."

Last came Bunny, who said nothing and simply handed Jack a basket of seeds.

Jack looked down at the seeds and then glanced back up at the Pooka before asking in a husky voice, "What are these for?"

Here, Sandy stepped in, motioning for Jack to look at the other side of the tree.

When Jack saw what was there, he smiled and looked back at the other Guardians with bright, shinning eyes before kneeling down and planting the seeds. Once the task was done, he stepped back and looked at the creation before him before nodding firmly. It would take a long time before he was as comfortable with this as the other Guardians, but he had all the time in the world and a new family willing to help.

Beneath the gently cradling eves of a willow tree sits the frozen statue of a young girl. A smile graces her long-gone face and, when the sun is at just the right angle, her eyes light up as they once did so long ago.

Around her frozen feet grown snowdrops, forget-me-nots, morning glories, and lilies-of-the-valley in a sprawling blanket of blue and white that is oddly reminiscent of winter and every year, on the day Jackson Overland became Jack Frost, he lights a candle to remember her by.

AN: When I was asked to write a story for this, I don't think Rats XP expected something like this, but those who've read my other stuff know my short stories tend to lean more towards the emotion side of things instead of the funny. I hope you enjoyed my little addition to this collection!

~Miki

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**AN: **I hope you enjoyed Miki's one-shot, I know I did

Please feel free to check out her other stories if you like!

Please R&R


	3. Hurting heart & guilty conscious (ch 3)

**AN: **This one-shot was written by xxRebelWinterxx. Hope you enjoy her story :)

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~Hurting heart & guilty conscious~

Jack has a secret he has held back for many years. He buried it deep inside his mind where it dwelled, making guilt over whelm him on different days when he thinks of it. Jack believes he should come clean. But how? How can you say that you have…? Would he not be a Guardian anymore? He should just tell them the story.

"Ah Jack what brings you here my boy," North said huskily and slapped his shoulder in a friendly way. "we aren't supposed to be meeting for another 5 days". Jack peered at North and looked away still distraught over his feelings. "Iz there something wrong?" North said curious and worried.

"No," Jack said then turned to face North. "But I have something to tell you."

"Yes…" North said and waited patiently for the winter sprite to answer.

"About 250 years ago I was in a village…" Jack took a deep breath and told the tale.

xXx

Jack sat on a tree branch looking down at the village that was due for some snowfall, when he saw this girl his age walking through the forest. She had black raven hair and piecing green eyes and wearing a blue shall with a design almost like snow and frost, she had a rough bow on her back and in her hand was a sack and two arrows. When she walked by it gave Jack a warm feeling and snow began to fall, and it was getting dark. The sun set as the snow gently got caught by the trees in a feather dust. The girl smiled, the cotton balls of cold where getting caught in her dark locks as she walked down the path to the village. Jack followed, curious, he had never really been in this town before so why not. The village was small and poor with broken roofs with shingles falling off, battered buildings, rusty pipes and broken boards on the houses falling apart. The girl walked into the oldest grimmest house of them all and called out,

"Tomas" and a small boy of 5 peered around the corner of a crumbling wall. He had a cute pudgy face but was still skinny, as if he could use a good meal and a hot bath. Jack came through the door, bringing a rush of cold snow with him. The girl shuttered and closed it tight. 'Oops' Jack thought, he didn't have great control over his powers yet it was still new to him.

"Alice, I'm hungry". The boy said through his chattering teeth.

"Don't worry; I was able to get a rabbit." And she walked over to what looked like a makeshift fire and two beds that were hay-filled sacks piled together and a linen blanket, strewn over top like a mattress with another fur bearskin blanket. Jack sat on a beam in the corner, feeling sad for them having no parents and no other family to look after them. Like he, himself, had no one.

Alice put snow in a rusty dirty old pot, and began to melt it down by starting a fire. The boy curled up in the blanket that they shared, and huddled next to the fire for warmth.

"Do you think it will last long?" the little boy said to his older sister.

"I don't know but cheer up Christmas is just a week away, maybe Santa will bring you a nice duck slathered in raspberry sauce." The boy licked his lips with a smile. "We will eat tomorrow" he said sadly as she looked at the bunny ravenous like her brother, but it had to last. Jack scoffed; he could get them that right now, and escaped through a gap in the roof.

Two hours later, around 9 o'clock at night, Jack returned with a duck under his arm, and some raspberries under the other, while holding his staff. Jack went far out, where it was warm, to get the food and was proud of what he accomplished. Jack carefully dropped the duck through the hole in the roof, it made a large thud as it hit the rock hard hay floor, then he flew down and scattered the berries around it. Woken from the noise Alice got up, and walked over to the sound seeing the gift Jack had left. He fled back to the large wood beam he had rested on before, and watched the smile stretch across Alice's face like there was hope for a new day. She lifted her head and looked to the ceiling, thanking the spirits for this generous gift. Then picking it up and preparing it, while Tomas was still fast asleep. She squished the raspberries into jelly and slow cooked the duck over the fire after plucking the ducks feathers, which would make a good pillow stuffing. Jack smiled that he could help these kids, so close to the holidays. They were poor and did not have much, which Jack knows too well. Alice then drizzled the raspberry sauce over the duck, and then promptly woke her brother.

"Wha-?" He questioned, and then sniffed the air; it was sweet and smelt of brilliant roast duck. "YEA!" he squeaked as he looked at the morsel on a shard of a plate. Alice smiled with tears in her eyes. "Is this a dream?" Tomas said, wonder in his voice rubbing his eyes.

"No it isn't, now eat it up before it cools." Jack leaned on his staff; it felt good to do good. Then he yawned and lay down on the beam.

xXx

It was around 6am when Jack woke, a full on blizzard raged outside, Jack looked around him and the area was covered in a thick layer of frost. His eyes widened, and he went down to where the girl and boy were. The fire was out it had to be 60 below in here, Jack looked at the blanket, the girl and boy snuggled up to each other, their skin cold as ice, their lips blue with a smile on their faces.

xXx

Jack could not go on with his tale, a lump was stuck in his throat, and North had never seen the boy so close to crying, ever.

"It was not your fault." North said

"It was, and winter kills every year, and I can't handle it. This was the one time I witnessed the life and death of winter, and I brought it! If I left, they would have lived." Jack said turning away again, and taking a step or two.

"Jack, it's ok, it was not your fault. You were only trying to help things happen in life, and we cannot dwell on the past. What has passed has passed and we cannot change the past, no matter how much we wish too. "Jack shivered but not from cold.

"How can I deal with this?! North, how can I live with it?" Frustration was in the spirit's voice. "It's been 250 years, and I still think about that night".

"We will be here for you Jack, all of us Guardians, we will help you in every way we can. " North paused, and then continued. "Jack, I feel humbled you trust me so much." North said and gave Jack a hug, which surprised him. Then Jack smiled.

"Ok, thanks North." And he rushed out the window. Escaping the grip of the large man.

End.

* * *

Author note: I thought since there was one comedic and one part-comedic tales, that there should be a full serious one, since I have never done one. I normally stay with comedy, but was experimenting. Hope you liked it. :)

**AN: **Hope you enjoyed this sad yet endearing story, like I did :)

Please, read and review!


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